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    tonytdyagain

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    Everything posted by tonytdyagain

    1. Why wouldn't he have been awarded a higher level award with that much bling already?
    2. Now you're dating yourself Frank Besides, I'd sign up for another 26 if they would let me. But the US Air Force thinks us old farts having nothing left to offer. But I have amassed quite the selection of shiny bobbles that will wind up on that e&@y site someday to the highest bidder.
    3. Well, I have a ridiculous pile of these things so if anybody wants to trade, say a 7-Series Beemer for them, let me know.
    4. Thanks Frank. Yes, I know, but it looks cool even if it isn't a real one. All those are now in their own plastic sleeves back in a box somewhere in my office. Not enough room to display everything. Besides, I'm afraid if I break them out again, there goes more of my retirement savings!!! Which in 61 days will come in handy. Finally getting to retire from the Air Force after 26 years. Still don't know what I'm going to do when I grow up though. Thanks again, Tony
    5. I also have all his documents for the medals and orders. I don't have a photo but will ask him the next time I see him. One from the GPW and a current one, that would be a nice addition. I hve also purchased a Defense of Moscow medal and a veteran's medal to complete all his awards, I figured it was the least I could do. I also have a couple of his uniform items, shouldaer boards, badges, school pins among a few other things. Maybe when I get a photo, I will post it here. As far as research goes, I got it all direct from the owner so I don't see a need to do any more.
    6. I know a Russian girl and whenever I need something translated, I take it to her for help. She used to call her Grandfather whenever there was a word she was not familiar with and he would explain it to her. Not long ago she asked me if I would like to meet her Grandfather, of course, why wouldn't I. We met and he asked me about my interest in Soviet medals, so I told him. He then presented me with a cigar box with almost all his medals from his time in the USSR (He said he was missing his Defense of Moscow and his Veteran medal, didn't know what happened to them since moving to America). None of his family wanted them because they were now American and didn't see a need to keep them. He gave me a brief account of what he received them for which I have added below. He was glad to give them to someone who appreciated what they were for. I was deeply honored that he would entrust them to me. I told his family that if they ever wanted them back, all they needed to do was ask. What a great piece of history to have been appointed caretaker of. Enjoy Vasiliy Petrovich Radukh Born: February 21, 1926, Moscow 1941 - Received Labor medals for work keeping streets clear of bomb damage 1943 ? Joined army as 37mm AAA gunner in Moscow age 17 1944 ? Received OPW 1st Class for destroying 4 German aircraft and the Medal for Valor 1948 ? Discharged from Army into the Reserve arm of the ?Protivo-Vozdushnaya Oborona? Voyska PVO Anti-Air Defense corps 1949-1954 - Attended University of Moscow received degree in Economics 1955-1991 - Professor of Economics, Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics. 1973 - Order of the Badge of Honor (classes with highest academic achievement) 1985 ? OPW 2nd Class, 40th Anniversary 1991 ? Retired from University and from the reserves as a Lt Colonel of Air Defense Forces 1994 ? Immigrated to US with wife, Daughter, Son-in-Law and Grandchildren
    7. I was in Moscow February 1996. Yes I know, Moscow in February "Are you crazy?!?!". I was down a side street off of Red Square and was looking at a table of shiney things when the guy selling the stuff pulled out from under the table, a piece of leatherette with a bunch of medals on it. I had no idea what they were, but they were Soviet and they were cool looking so I bought the whole sheet. I think I paid $10.00 in rubles, paying in American $$$ was forbidden, so we were briefed. So there I am with a pocket full of bright and shiney medal things. Not thinking anything about it, we went through the metal detector to enter Lenin's tomb. All the sirens and buzzers went off, I thought they were going to shoot me. When they started searching my pockets and started pulling all this stuff out, all they could do was laugh and call me a silly American tourist. So, fast forward ten years, I'm going through some boxes I found out in the garage, lo and behold, I come across all those medals. So I go online to see what they are and one thing led to another, and here I am, several thousand dollars poorer, but collection richer. The magical lot was all the jubillee medals and military anniversary, Lenin 100th anniversary (which the guy selling them told me was an Order of Lenin), and a whole pocket full of tinnies.
    8. Heres the body armor. I like to wear these on Mondays, because people think you got into trouble over the weekend. Back in the day, unless we were scheduled to fly, we would wear our blues Monday thru Thursday then we wore a flight suit or fatigues on Fridays for "Warrior Day". Yea, cold warriors fighting the Soviet bloc. At least we knew who the enemy was and where they were at. We didn't have to go looking for them hiding in caves and villages. But I digress. So, heres my resume in case anyone is hiring.
    9. David S. Wins the "Double-Double" award for getting them all correct. And yes, I have ten other ribbon onlys on my rack. Maybe some day I'll post a picture of my "Body armor" as the kids call it. As to the In-N-Out reference, I too am from SoCal originally. Cheers
    10. Here are all the ones I've personally been awarded over my 22+ year career in the USAF. Hopefully they'll end up with a collector someday when I'm gone and not wind up in the dumpster. Tony
    11. It is always nice to see other people thinking the way we do on the active AF side of things. There used to be a time when an AF good conduct medal was actually earned. One Letter of Reprimand or Article 15 would make you ineligible to receive the AFGCM for that three year period. But then you started over again for the next period. I know quite a few people that didn't get one because of them getting in trouble. But that was back in the days that if you got in trouble, the AF rehabilitated you (if needed) slapped you with paperwork, and sent you back to work. Today, all you have to do is just about look at someone the wrong way and they walk you to the gate. A friend of mine, 28 year SMSgt, was court martialled, reduced to Airman Basic and had three months pay taken for kicking the @#&% out of a Major in a bar in the South Pacific. The only reason he didn't make Chief, was because of that minor infraction. Today, he would have gone to jail and then kicked out. By the way, the Major started the fight over a girl, and he was kicked out for conduct unbecoming. So believe me, we on the active duty side don't want to see our AFGCM go away. Alot of us senior NCOs at my base have lodged a protest through the First Sergeant and Command Chiefs channels about it. If the uniform board can approve corn rolls for women's hairdos, they can reinstate our medal. Cheers Tony
    12. I have quite a few friends with Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, Airman's Medals, etc. I was even submitted for a DFC during WW Desert Storm, which was downgraded to an Air Medal; long story, and I can't think of a one of them that was in a situation and was thinking about what kind of medal can I get out of this. I have also seen REMFs sitting back at base camp writing award packages for crews going out and doing the mission and just so happen to slip their names onto the list. So, shiny bright things don't always show who the valorous types are and who the mission hackers that do the job no matter what they get out of it. I tend to think of myself as one of the kind that gives 100 percent to the mission and get total satisfaction out of mission accomplishment, not what am I getting now. If I have time, I'll sit down and give a brief synopsis on what I did to get all my bobbles, if I can remember.
    13. [attachmentid=33794] Hello all, Still serving in the Air Force now a little more than 21 years, I have received my fair share of ridicule for my "Fruit Salad", but it does take a little more than perfect attendance and a handful of smiley faces to receive awards and decorations. Having served most of my career in Special Operations and Combat Search and Rescue units, I have deployed to just about every conflict since Operation Just Cause (Panama). I feel that I have earned each and every one of my salad pieces asnd damn proud of it. I agree, there are a handful of senior NCOs and officers that get something for a papercut sitting in Italy during Bosnia, or a Bronze star for working the ramp in the Mid-West US during Operation Anaconda (Afghanistan). But more often than not, there are many men and women out there right now serving their countries and making a difference on the global war on terror, that are there for a purpose and not for pretty pieces of cloth to wear. Me personally, I would rather go over someplace and take the fight to the terrorists, and the common civilian never know about it, than to have my picture in the paper or on the news saying how great and wonderful we all are. So the next time you see an impressive Fruit salad on a great and proud warrior, take the time to thank them and to admire the sacrifice they give each and every day to keep the world a free and wonderful place to live. Think of the fruit salad as our resume to the world as a silent reminder of what we do and where we go so you don't have to. Thanks for letting me rant. Have a great and peaceful day. Tony "Support Search and Rescue...Get Lost!!!"
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